While the big story at PSA Group (parent company of Citroen and Peugeot) is about the possible sale of Opel, they are also getting ready to begin to take their first steps into re-entering the U.S. marketplace.
In April, car-sharing service TravelCar will launch at airports in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The service has been operating at various airports and train stations in Europe since 2012. The expansion into the U.S. is thanks to a 15 million euro (about $18.5 million) investment by PSA Group and MAIF, a French insurance company.
TravelCar is different from other car-sharing services such as ZipCar and GM's Maven as it rents out other people's cars. The service allows owners free parking at airports if they allow their vehicles to be rented out. In turn, TravelCar says their rental rates are about half when compared to those from rental car companies. MAIF will be providing the insurance on the vehicles that are rented.
“We announced our progressive entry to North America by launching mobility services with our partners. We deploy these services worldwide to meet customers’ expectations. With TravelCar today, we’re writing the beginning of this new step overseas,” said Grégoire Olivier, Head of Mobility Services, PSA Group.
This investment is the first part of 10-year plan announced by PSA Group last year to possibly re-enter the U.S.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), PSA Group
Press Release is on Page 2
PSA Group and MAIF join forces to bring TravelCar to the United States with carsharing services
- As part of the Push to pass strategic plan, an operation which fuels PSA’s ambition to become the preferred mobility provider for customers worldwide
- A concretization of the 10 years’ PSA project for the progressive entry into North America with mobility services launching
As of April 1st 2017, TravelCar with the support of PSA Group and MAIF enters the United States with car rental offers for travelers, in Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. The offered solutions are designed to optimize cars ensuring they rarely go unused and become a resource for car owners.
Three kind of services are offered to travelers; either owner or car user. Car owners who make their vehicle available for rent benefit from free parking. If the vehicle is rented out, the car owner is also paid. An advantageous-price parking solution is also available for car owners who prefer not to share their vehicle. Last, car users looking for a vehicle can have access to a private car at a reduced price – approx. 50% less expensive than with a traditional car rental offer.
This kind of offer is today unique on the American market, which has more than 850 million travelers per year. Los Angeles and San Francisco airports are respectively the 2nd and the 7th biggest airports in the United-States. Moreover, the 2 cities located close to the Silicon Valley are favorable for these new offers deployment.
For this launch, TravelCar just finalized a fundraising of €15 million thanks to PSA Group and MAIF. It is a significant deployment for the French company TravelCar, which was founded in 2012, and has a network of over 200 agencies and 300,000 users in ten European countries, before entering the American continent.
“We announced our progressive entry to North America by launching mobility services with our partners” declares Grégoire Olivier, Head of Mobility Services, PSA Group. “We deploy these services worldwide to meet customers’ expectations. With TravelCar today, we’re writing the beginning of this new step overseas.”
“With PSA Group and MAIF support, TravelCar entering the American market is taking a new step forward in its international growth”, declares Ahmed Mhiri, Founder & CEO TravelCar. “Our offer takes care of travelers from their departure, offering them a parking solution, and their arrival with an accessible and eco-responsible mobility solution.”
“We are pleased to support our partners in their growth and development, especially at the international scale when the time has come ... and that’s now for TravelCar!" declares Eric Berthoux, Deputy CEO of MAIF Group.
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